RTDM: Anne Clinard Barwick
Anne Clinard Barwick
MS, OD, ACC, ELI-MP, Owner of A Strong U/Leadership and Personal Development Coach/Co-Founder of RTDM
Charlotte, NC (from Winston-Salem, NC)
We want to get to know you! Briefly tell us about yourself: Where you came from, where you've been and how you're living your dream?
Mother of 2 energetic & beautiful daughters; rescuer of 2 super silly canines (they are my current live-in therapists); wife of a tolerant, deeply grounded husband; daughter of 2 loving, philanthropic, entrepreneurs; youngest sibling of 4 go-getters’; NC native; adventurer; backyard gardener; snowboarder; tree hugger; poet; music lover; optimist; advocate of collaboration; personal development coach; public speaker; promoter of fun; idea machine; and life long learner of the Self. I continue to find passion in all of these above listed things and for that, I am thankful! There was certainly a time when I did not, to be doing so again is “dreamy” to me.
How do you define success?
I’m always a work in progress. I consider a day to be a success when I experience joy and/or hope, even if just a glimpse of either and even if it is finding a lesson or enlightenment in something perceived to have gone wrong. Two sure fire indicators of success for me are when I am being collaborative and having fun helping others!
What did it take to make your dream happen and when did you know you had arrived?
I have experiences of “arriving” most every day and I work hard to keep that going. I love what I do but it took a while to figure that all out and find passion and balance in each varying role in my life. “Arriving” to me is a continuous flow of new perceptions and positive change and I get excited about what each new day may bring!
What are you most proud of? Go ahead, boast a little!
I did not attend my college graduation ceremony because I honestly felt I did not deserve that degree. Undergrad was more of an experiment in socialization to me and academics were not a focus. But when I finally got my master’s in my early 30’s I was super proud to have graduated with honors. I have received many other certifications since then and my most recent was achieved after spending a year in my 5th decade becoming a certified personal development coach. I’ll never put an age limit on learning! I’m also incredibly proud to be a mother and wife. Those are 2 of the hardest and longest positions I have ever held...and they have been the most rewarding! Anyone that knows me well knows that my domestication did not come easily but the rewards have been so positively powerful.
What was your biggest obstacle/fear and what was your turning point?
My biggest obstacle has been my thoughts and the limiting beliefs I created for myself. When I think too much and get disconnected with my heart I lose sight of my passionate, fun, intuitive side. Getting married later in life and having children really rocked my world. Both were such an incredible gift but made me feel like I needed to “grow up” and so I resorted to a path in which I thought I was to follow. Once I realized I didn’t need to follow a particular legacy (nor was it expected of me) I started to create my own, which is so much more fun and authentic and I think everyone around me benefits from it. Yay!
What’s the best advice you’d give to a younger you?
Don’t ever forget the 2 F’s in your toolbox. Being FIERCE and having FUN. Sometimes they may seem hidden or lost but they are always there for you to discover again and again. Never be ashamed of or downplay these attributes.
How do you stay motivated and purposeful when you feel overwhelmed?
Overwhelmed is a place I used to be very familiar with. We were going pretty steady in my early years as a mom. Four years ago I started a routine of attending a pilates equipment class. It is a space I go to where I leave work and family behind for an hour, focus on my breathe and feel strong. I added in a consistent meditation practice a year later and together they keep me feeling grounded and sane.
Tell us a time when a perceived failure was actually a blessing in disguise or served you in a surprising way.
During a yearly, marriage-maintenance, counseling session with my husband, our therapist wondered if I might have ADHD. I decided to invest in the lengthy (and costly) testing to see if this might be true. The results came back that I have no issues with keeping my focus but found that I have a severe short-term memory issue. I immediately went into a sobbing session because my mother had suffered and passed away with Alzheimer’s and it is one of my biggest fears. The Dr. then assured me she felt this had existed since my childhood and was not indicative of the disease. She pointed out that I had unconsciously created all kinds of methods/survival skills throughout my life to counteract this deficiency. I then decided that instead of a pity party, I would celebrate my brilliance in creating techniques to overcome this set back! My subconscious rocks!
What is your favorite vice/guilty pleasure/strange habit? Come on now, we all have them!
I consider vices items of indulgences that are there to enjoy, distract, and fill me up. I have so many and I try to keep them rotated so they stay indulgences and don’t become bad habits. One of my favorites though, is my girlfriend time. A therapist that supported me through my postpartum years could always tell if I had been hanging out with my girlfriends or not. They were and still are my anti-depressant!
What's the smartest investment you’ve made for yourself?
My Acuity scheduling App. I send my coaching clients to this to schedule their sessions with me and it really helps me keep my time divided out like I had originally planned. Before this, I loved coaching so much I was letting clients schedule at times I might have held for my family.
What’s MOST important to you right now?
Making sure I keep balance between my family and my work. My daughters are so amazing! I want to be present with them as much as possible and also show them how fun it can be to have a career they are passionate about. I would love to limit the amount of time they discuss me with their therapist when they become adults, unless of course it is a discussion of how well I raised them!
Share 1-2 books you've given as gifts:
Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Her story moved me so and anyone I have passed it along to has seemed to feel the same! I have also given away hundreds of copies of my mother's book: Winning Ways To Succeed With People: 7 Powerful Skills by Helen Hall Clinard
What have you learned to say no to?
I have never really had a hard time saying ”no” (except maybe to “fun”) but see my answer for this in my answer to the question…”What the smartest investment…” Saying “yes” to things that I don’t want to, does everyone involved a disservice.
What's something most people would never guess about you?
I have experienced times of feeling so deep in a rut with no view or inclination of what the next movement forward might be. I know what it is like to feel depressed and completely uninspired with no direction or purpose. It’s a lonely, dark place. I am proud of the strength I was able to muster and the insights that helped me climb out. Because of those times I feel so deeply appreciative of finding my passionate purpose and I know what things to grab a hold of if I were to slip down that scary path again. On a lighter note...I love to sing “If I were a rich man…” from Fiddler on The Roof while I snowboard. You should try it, the beat is perfect for carving down the slopes!
Follow Anne:
Website: AStrongU
Facebook
FB Group: Putting the YAY! back in your day
LinkedIn
E-Mail: Anne@StrongU.com
